Fluid treatment apparatus



June 10, 1941. w i sc 2,244,698

FLUID TREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1" June 10,1941. w, H. H|N5 f 2,244,698

FLUID TREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedJune 10, 1941 FLUID TREATMENT APPARATUS Walter H. Hinsch, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to Dearborn Chemical Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofIllinois Application January 20, 1938, Serial No. 185,856

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fluid treatment apparatus andit consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

The present invention is more particularly concerned with apparatus foruse in connection with the tender tank of a locomotive for treating thewater thereof concurrently with the taking on of untreated water.Apparatus hereto devised for tender tank water treatment is open tocertain objections. In some instances the jarring and jolting caused byrough roadbed conditions, produces actuation of certain of the parts toan extent suflicient to discharge reagent into the tender tank anddestroy the desired proportioning between reagent and water Also, insome apparatus of this kind, tampering with certain parts to make theminoperative, is often in evidence. Again, other parts thereof are sodisposed as to be inaccessible for servicing or required draining of thereagent from the holder therefor, for such servicing.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a fluidtreating apparatus especially adapted for use in connection withlocomotive tender tanks, which avoids the objections above mentioned inconnection with apparatus of this kind now in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this kind,which is more accurate and positive in its use and is not affected byrough road bed conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this kind,which is substantially tamperproof and is readily adapted for servicingwithout requiring the drainage of the treatment reagent for thatpurpose.

The above mentioned objects of the invention,

as well as others, together with the several advantages thereof willmore fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the top endportion of a locomotive tender tank to which the improved apparatus hasbeen applied.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view an enlarged scale,through a part of the apparatus as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a control valve embodied inthe apparatus, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 3-3of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the valve appearing in Fig. 3.

The improved apparatus is herein illustrated and is herein described asembodied in a locomotive tender for treating the water supplied to thereservoir or tank thereof with a proportioned amount of reagent, butthis is to be considered only in the illustrative sense and not in alimiting sense.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustratedin the accompanying drawings, 5 indicates as a whole the top horizontalwall of the reservoir or tank of a locomotive tender of conventionalconstruction and having a water inlet or manhole 6 provided with a coverI. Also mounted on the wall 5 is a container or holder 8 for a supply ofreagent adapted to be discharged into the reservoir or tank as willlater appear. As shown herein, the holder which is adapted to hold areagent in liquid or fluid form, has a filling opening in its top withwhich is associated a cover 9. The bottom wall ID of the reagent holderis preferably inclined downwardly toward one of the upright walls IIthereof as appears in Fig. 1.

I2 indicates as a whole, a valve for controlling the discharge ofreagent from the holder 8 into the tender tank. This valve includes ahollow body I3 having a vertical flange I I bolted to a bottom portionof the wall II about an opening therein so that the reagent flows intothe valve body. A valve seat bushing I5 is removably secured in ahorizontal wall part I6 of the body and which wall part separates theinlet passage I! of the body from a laterally extending outlet passageI8. Below the bottom of the passage I8, in line with the valve seatbushing I5, the body is formed with a boss I9 in which a certain valvestem has guided bearing as will later appear.

A valve member 20 is engaged on the seat of the bushing I5 so as tonormally close off communication between the inlet and outlet passagesI1 and I8. This valve member is formed at its bottom end with depending,arcuately spaced guides 2| for sliding engagement in the bushing I5 sothat this end of the valve member has a guided movement in the bushing.In the bottom of the valve member is a downwardly opening axial recess22 to receive the top end of an actuating stem 23, the bottom portion ofwhich has sliding bearing in the boss I9 and extends a suitable distancebelow the same. A shoulder 23a on the stem so engages on the top end ofthe boss I9 as to limit the downward movement of the stem to a definiteposition. On the top side of the valve member 20 is an axial boss andextension 24.

The valve body is further formed to provide an upwardly opening tubularneck arranged axially of the valve member 2t. A disk-like cap 26 closesthe neck and is removably secured in place by a bonnet ring 27 threadedonto the neck. The cap includes a depending sleeve 28 in which theextension 24 of the valve member 23 has sliding guided engagement. Anexpansion spring 29 is disposed between the valve member 28 and the cap26 and operates normally to hold the valve member against its seat inthe bushing I5. apparent from the above that the valve member is soengaged at its top and bottom as to have a true guided movement.

The valve body i3 is formed between the flange I4 and the valve member29 to receive a plug valve 3d whereby the passage Il may be opened orclosed. The head 39a of the plug valve and an upstanding boss 3! on thevalve body are formed to receive a seal as shown in Fig. 4 and which.seal is employed to lock this valve in its open condition.

32 indicates an orifice nipple threaded into the bottom wall of the bodyat a point laterally of the valve member 25 so as to communicate withthe outlet passage E8 of the valve body. A removable plug 33 is providedin the body above the nipple and which plug permits access to the nipplefor inspection and servicing. The body and its lateral extension isformed to provide an annular tapered shoulder 3 which seats in sealingengagement upon the top edg of a collar 35 opening through the top wall5 of the tender tank. This collar surrounds the bottom end of the valvebody as a whole and forms the passage by which the reagent dischargedthrough the orifice nipple, passes into the tank to mix with the watertherein. To prevent tampering with the valve I2 as a whole, it isenclosed in a box-like casing 36, engaged with both the top wall 5 ofthe tender and the wall II of the reagent holder. This casing isprovided with a hinged cover 35a which may be locked in its closedposition, such as by a seal or padlock.

Within and extending longitudinally of the tender tank is a valveactuating lever 3? which is pivoted at a point 38 between its ends to afulcrum bracket 39 depending from the bottom surface of the wall 5 at apoint between the manhole 6 and casing 36. One end of said leverconstitutes an arm 40 which extends into that area outlined by themanhole 6. This end of the arm It is normally engages the underside of ascreen or paddle M of considerable area which is pivoted or hinged as at42 to a portion of the bottom edge of the manhole. Preferably the areaof this screen or paddle, when compared to that of the manhole, is suchas to substantially proximate the same. Thus, when water is beingdischargedinto the manhole as from a water column, a penstock or likewayside water supply, said water is bound to engage the screen orpaddle, the force I position along with the screen or paddle 4!.

or pressure of the water swinging the screen or paddle downwardly.

The opposite end of the lever 31 constitutes a second arm 43 whichterminates at about the axial plane of the valve stem 23. A clevis 44 ispivoted as at 45 to the arm 43 and carries an upstanding boss 46, theclevis forming a seat for one end of a spring 41, the otherend of whichsurrounds the boss I9 of the valve body I3. When the arm 40 of the lever3! is depressed, the arm 43 is elevated to first compress the spring 41,after which the boss 46 engages the valve stem 23 to raise the same andthus lift the valve member 20 off its seat as provided by the bushing I5, said spring normally urging the lever arm 43 downwardly. Thus thespring constitutes a yielding 10st motion connection between the leverarm 43 and the valve stem 23.

A steam coil 48 is disposed beneath the bottom wall I!) of the holderand a portion of said coil is disposed within the casing 35 in a mannerto surround the valve l2 therein. A valve E9 is provided in the inletend of this coil and its outlet end is arranged to pass through the wall5 to discharge into the interior of the tank. This coil may beconnected. to a convenient steam line of the associated locomotive andits function is to prevent freezing of the reagent in the tank and thefreezing up of the valve in weather of low temperature.

Assume that it is necessary to take on a supply of water for the tank ofthe tender. The manhole cover I is swung into its open position andwater is discharged from a penstock or column through the manhole 6 intothe tank. The stream of water, of course, impinges against the screen orpaddle 4i and swings it downwardly, the amount of such movement beingdependent upon the volume and pressure or" the water stream passingthrough the manhole. As the arm 4i. of the lever 37 is engaged with theunderside of the paddle or screen, it swings downwardly therewith aboutthe pivot 38 for said lever. This swings the other arm 43 of said leverupwardly, and the initial part of said swing is absorbed by the springii, after which the boss 46 of the clevis it engages the bottom end ofthe valve stem 23. The valve stem 23 is then moved upwardly againstfurther action of the spring 47 to lift the valve member 2% off its seaton the bushing it against the action of the spring 29.

With the plug valve 3% in its open position, reagent fluid may now flowthrough the passage 11, bushing l5 into passage I3 out through theorifice nipple 32 for discharge through the collar 35 into the water inthe tank. By reason of the turbulence produced in the tank by theincoming water, a thorough mixture of the water and reagent is had.

When the desired amount of water has been taken on, the penstock orcolumn is closed off so that the discharge of water into the manholeceases. Both of the springs 4i and 28* which were previously undercompression now expand to their normal condition. In this expansion ofsaid springs, the valve member 26 is forced by the spring 25 intoengagement upon its seat in the bushing 15, closing oif further passageof reagent through the valve. The expansion of the spring &1 thenreturns the lever 3? to normal In this position the boss 45 on theclevis 44 is spaced from the'bottom end of the valve stem 23.

In the passage of the tender over a rough road bed, the jarring andjolting the tender receives tends to cause a limited rocking movement ofthe lever 31, which is resisted by the spring 41 to an extent whichprevents engagement of the boss 46 with the valve stem. Thus, underrough road bed conditions, the tendency of the lever 31 to rock andactuate the valve to open the same is overcome so that there is noirregularopening and closing of the valve to destroy the proportioningbetween water and reagent.

Assume that itis desired either to inspect or service parts of the valvel2. The cover 35a for the casing 36 is opened, the seal for the plugvalve 30 is removed and said valve is closed to prevent the passage ofreagent through the inlet passage ll of the valve. By removing thebonnet 2'! and cap 26, full access is had to the parts associated withthe valve member 26. Should it be desired to inspect the orifice nipple32, the plug 33 may be removed, thus exposing the nipple for removal andreplacement. Thereafter the parts of the valve i2 as a whole arereplaced, the plug valve 39 opened and sealed in this position and thecover for the casing 36 closed and locked and the parts are ready forfuture operations.

It is to be observed from Fig. 1 that the top edge of the manholeextends a considerable distance above the top edge of the collar 35. Insome instances, engine crews will fill th water to a level a shortdistance below the top edge of the manhole, which is above the top edgeof the collar 35. However, due to the seated fit, as provided betweenthe shoulder 34 on the valve casing and the top edge of the collar 35,no water can leak through at this point to spill over onto the deck ofthe tender as provided by the top Wall 5 of the tank.

It is apparent from the above that accidental opening of the valve 12cannot occur under rocking movement of the lever 31 by reason of roughroad bed conditions, so that the proportioning ratio is maintainedsubstantially constant. As the reagent controlling valve is disposedoutside the tank, it may be readily serviced and this without requiringthe draining of the reagent holder.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form,arrangement and construction of the parts involved, the same is to beconsidered only in the illustrative sense and not in the restrictivesense so that I do not desire to be limited thereby except as may bespecifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with the tank of a locomotive tender having a fillingopening, means on the tender for holding a supply of reagent, meansproviding a passageway for the movement of reagent from said supply intosaid tank, means for controlling the movement of reagent through saidpassageway, means movable in response to the untreated water enteringthe tank through the filling opening and including a part adapted toengage said controlling means for actuating the same, and meansproviding a lost motion connection between said controlling means andsaid part of said movable means.

2. In combination with the tank of a locomotive tender having a fillingopening, means on the tender for holding a supply of reagent, meansproviding a passageway for the movement of reagent from said supply intosaid tank, means for controlling the movement of reagent through saidpassageway, means movable in response to the water entering the tankthrough said filling opening and including a part adapted to engage saidcontrolling means for actuating the same, and yielding means associatedwith said part for absorbing the initial portion of the movement of saidpart into actuating engagement with said controlling means.

3. A fiuid treating apparatus comprising in combination with the tank ofa locomotive tender having a top wall with a filling opening therein,means on said tender for holding a reagent supply, means providing apassageway for the movement of reagent from said supply into said tank,means accessible from outside the tank and the supply holding meansrespectively for controlling the movement of reagent through saidpassageway, and means in said tank and having a part so arranged withrespect to the filling opening as to be actuated by the untreated wateras it is discharging through the filling opening and having a secondpart arranged to engage and actuate said controlling means.

4. A fluid treating apparatus comprising in combination with the tank ofa locomotive tender havin a top wall, means providing a filling openingfor said tank having its top edge disposed at an elevation above that ofthe said top wall, a second tank on said tender tank for holding asupply of reagent, means providing a second opening in said top wall forthe discharge of reagent therethrough into the first mentioned tank andhaving its top edge disposed at an elevation below the elevation of thesaid filling opening, a valve casing secured to the outside of saidsecond tank and engaged with substantially a sealing fit upon the edgeof said second opening and having a passageway for the movement ofreagent therethrough from said second tank into the first mentioned one,and a. valve element in said casing for controlling the movement ofreagent through said passageway.

WALTER H. HINSCH.

